Did You Know?
The Saltair that appears in the film actually burned down in the early '70s. In the early '80s another version of Saltair was rebuilt, although it was a much smaller design. Shortly after it was built, the Great Salt Lake rose and flooded it out. In 1993, the building was remodeled and reopened, now it's mainly used as a small venue for musical acts.
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Director Herk Harvey and writer John Clifford both waived their earnings in order to get the film made under the initially miniscule $17,000 budget.
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The original cut of the film ran 84 minutes but was cut down to 75 minutes by drive-in owners in order to accommodate more showings.
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This film was shot on location in Salt Lake City, Utah, and in Lawrence, Kansas, with interior shots at the Centron Studios in Lawrence. Centron was an industrial film company, producing industrial and educational films and "social guidance" short subjects in the 1950s into the 1960s. Most of this film's technical staff, including director Herk Harvey and screenwriter John Clifford, were Centron employees.
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The film resurfaced in 1989 when it was fully restored and given a more proper release in New York.
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The film was originally released on double-bill with The Devil's Messenger, a TV pilot for a Swedish horror show.
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The supporting cast of the film was made up of local actors from the Lawrence, Kansas area, where much of the film was shot.
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Originally shot on 16 millimeter film, but the footage was blown up to 35 millimeter for theaters.
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In the late 1980s, Candace Hilligoss wrote a treatment for a sequel to 'Carnival of Souls'. She took it to associate Peter Soby Jr. who instead decided to produce a remake of the original film (also called Carnival of Souls). Hilligoss had no part of the production.
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The bridge used in the opening of the film is called the Kaw Bridge, named after the Kaw River that runs under it. The bridge still stands in Lawrence, Kansas though it has been re-built with concrete since the filming.
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Director/writer Herk Harvey thought up the idea of the film after driving past the Saltair Amusement Park while traveling through Salt Lake City.
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Upon release in 1962 the film was a failure in the box office, but its subsequent airings on late night television helped to gain it a strong cult following. Today it is regarded as a landmark in psychological horror.
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The film's budget was raised over the course of one weekend. Local businesses in Lawrence, Kansas invested in the film.
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The shots of the 'ghouls' rising from the Salt Lake were actually filmed in an apartment swimming pool.
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According to star Candace Hilligoss, the river water she was submerged in for the film's finale was frigidly cold. She said she had to be placed in the water for several hours to get the final shots. In fact, one of the actresses lying next to Hilligoss can be seen trembling from the cold water.
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At the "Carnival of Souls" 1989 reunion, director Herk Harvey wore the ghoul makeup that he wore in the film for interviews.
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According to director Herk Harvey, one reel of footage for the film was unfortunately ruined during processing. Harvey said it was a long series of shots that was suppose to take place just before Mary sees the "souls" dancing in the ballroom. In the shots the ghouls were supposed to slowly appear from behind the rotting dock pylons out on the salt flats and slowly walk across the prairie to the ballroom, where they would begin to dance. Sadly, the footage was overexposed during the processing and couldn't be included in the film..
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Star Candace Hilligoss' agent refused to represent her any further after seeing this film.
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The Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce charged director Herk Harvey $50 for his one-week shoot at the ruined Saltair Pavilion.
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